Audi R8 V10 Announced as Official Safety Car for 2014 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

HERNDON, VA--(Marketwired - Jan 22, 2014) -

Audi R8 V10 is the Official Safety Car for second year in a row at the iconic 2014 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona

Audi excited to lead the field for inaugural race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with the R8 V10 road car

Audi R8 V10 offers exceptional balance between performance at the limit and ease of driving for daily use

For the second year in a row, the Audi R8 V10 will lead the field of cars at the 2014 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

"We are excited to be the Official Safety Car of the new TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona," said Scott Keogh, President, Audi of America. "Watching the R8 V10 make its way around the track on the banked turns of Daytona as the safety car will further prove its ability to offer incredible balance as a car for the track and on the road."

The Audi R8 V10 and the R8 LMS share more than 50% of their parts and components including the V10 naturally aspirated engine and the fully aluminum ASF® that provides a very stiff and lightweight chassis that weighs less than 500 pounds. The 13,000 mile engine service interval under race conditions is a testament to the durability of the R8 LMS. Where other race engines require servicing after a twenty-four hour race, the 5.2 liter V10 FSI engine in the R8 LMS can race a whole season without a major overhaul.

The 2014 model year Audi R8 V10 5.2 liter engine generates 525 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque which accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds. New for the 2014 model year is the 7-speed S tronic transmission that offers incredibly quick and smooth shifting between the gears including skipping gears automatically when downshifting for exceptional control and performance. The highly praised gated manual transmission is also available standard while the double clutch S tronic is available as an option.

The Audi R8 V10 road car is equipped with magnetic ride which allows the suspension to be stiffened for more dynamic driving or to offer a more comfortable ride. Standard waved brake rotors provide better heat dissipation as well as offer a nine pound weight reduction compared to conventional brake rotors which reduces unsprung weight. The R8 V10 is available as a coupe or Spyder.

The Audi R8 model line is also available as a V8 coupe or Spyder with 425 horsepower in a manual transmission or with the available 7-speed S tronic. For maximum performance, the R8 V10 Plus offers 550 horsepower, is 130 pounds lighter than the V10 and reaches 60 mph in a breathtaking 3.3 seconds.

The Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona race will take start at 2:30 pm on Saturday, January 25 and end twenty-four hours later on the Sunday, January 26th.

The full television schedule to watch all of the action is as follows:

ABOUT AUDIAudi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products, facilities and technologies. Visit www.audiusa.com or www.audiusanews.com for more information regarding Audi vehicles and business topics.